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The Ernie and Vijay show Two former major winners make a charge at Augusta
Posted: Saturday April 08, 2000 08:33 PM
The wind died down at Augusta National and two of the field's best credentialed international players made a charge on day-2 of the Masters championship. The 1998 US PGA champion Vijay Singh, from Fiji, and the two-time winner of the U.S. Open, Ernie Els, of South Africa, were tied for the second-place with American Phil Mickelson after shooting 5-under-par rounds of 67. Singh's move came as he shot five birdies in a scorching front nine of 32, as he worked wonders with his putter. Singh had a total of 27 putts in his second round. "I used to be negative about my putting, but these last two years I've changed my attitude," Singh said. "I've tried to enjoy putting more, rather than hating it and that helps me on these greens."
The Florida-based Singh was also upbeat about other aspects of his Friday performance. "It's the first time for a while I've felt comfortable with the driver in my hand and I've enjoyed hitting the new irons I have. I can move the ball left and right much easier, which you need to do." For Els, it was a satisfying return to form after a disastrous back nine during Thursday's first round during which he dropped three-shots, allowing himself to be unsettled by a Masters official who was timing him for slow play. After shooting 33 on the front nine with birdies at the 2nd, 5th and the 8th on Friday, Els also picked up shots at the 15th, 16th and 18th with his only bogey for the day coming at the 13th. It was a far calmer Els than 24-hours earlier when he angrily criticized the timing official whom he claimed unnecessarily upset his game. "I got it off my chest (on Thursday) and talked about it with my caddy before today's round," Els said. "I felt like I was ready to play. I was hitting the ball very well. My golf game is very solid." Els and Singh are one stroke behind second-round leader David Duval, of the United States, who shot the day's best score, a 7-under-par 65. Former world number one Greg Norman, of Australia, was one of the 57 player to scrape through the half-way cut after shooting a 4-under-par 68 to follow his disastrous 80 on Thursday, his worst round in 20 years at the Masters. "I needed to shoot that...I needed a 68," Norman told me, outside the clubhouse at Augusta. "Now anything can happen. I've shot 63 before and I can do that again to give myself a chance. I've got a morning start on Saturday so if I'm done before the wind starts, that could help me too." But Norman's young friend, Aaron Baddeley missed the cut, despite a par round of 72. The 19-year-old amateur from Melbourne who won last year's Australian Open, finished at 5-over-par, level with defending champion Jose Maria Olazabal from Spain, whose tournament was also, sadly, cut short.
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